JoAnne Levene Lerner, beautiful wife of Henry (Hank) Lerner and devoted mother of Rebecca Lerner and William Lerner, passed away early Friday morning, October 30, 2015, surrounded by her loved ones. She was 69.
JoAnne was born in San Francisco and spent much of her childhood in foster care with Bill & Fran Smith on Mt. Vernon Ave. in the Outer Mission. She then lived briefly with her mother, Nancy Presley Brown, before being sent to live with her grandmother, Florence Levene. JoAnne made it her life's work to overcome her childhood difficulties by creating a warm, loving home, and providing support for those in need.
JoAnne attended San Miguel School, Spring Valley Elementary School, Marina Junior High, and Lowell High School before graduating from Galileo High School in 1963. She credited her widowed grandmother, Florence, an insurance saleswoman, and her late aunt, Carol Levene, a local filmmaker, with giving her the inspiration and confidence to pursue her dreams.
She worked at Bank of America's Trust Department to put herself through college, attending San Francisco City College and UC Berkeley, where she received a B.A. in Anthropology in 1972. She went on to obtain a Masters in Social Welfare from UC Berkeley in 1977.
While at UC Berkeley, JoAnne met Hank, of Lincolnwood, IL. The two were married in 1973 at Mineral Springs in Tilden Park; her in a flower-laden Mexican wedding dress. They made their home and raised their family in Berkeley.
Professionally, JoAnne worked as a psychotherapist at Jewish Family Service in Oakland and later had a private practice in Berkeley. She was acutely insightful and believed strongly in the power of therapy to help people understand and find the good in themselves.
JoAnne's challenging childhood gave her an unwavering family focus, and a kind, inclusive nature. This extended beyond her family, as she opened her home to exchange students and friends in need over the years. She actively supported her children's education, taking part in fundraising events and field trips at Prospect School (now Prospect Sierra) and Berkeley High School, as well as their religious education at Congregation Beth El in Berkeley.
A fifth-generation Californian, JoAnne was a descendent of Michael Gilbert, a merchant in Big Oak Flat during the Gold Rush. JoAnne was an enthusiastic gardener who volunteered at the UC Botanical Garden, an accomplished knitter, a lover of music, and a voracious reader. She enjoyed travel, hiking, nature and animals, and had several dogs and cats, including her omnipresent Labradoodle, Shiloh, who regularly accompanied her on walks in the neighborhood.
In 2011, JoAnne was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and, beginning in January 2014 resided in memory care at Aegis of Pleasant Hill.
JoAnne is survived by her husband and two children. The family acknowledges the kindness and compassion of the memory care team at Aegis of Pleasant Hill and of Hospice of the East Bay.
Memorial services will be private. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the UCSF Memory & Aging Center [http://memory.ucsf.edu/ourcenter/support] or to Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay [https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/1422012].
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